


Are They Really Just Friends?

by Liza_Taylor



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Drabble, FE3H Kinkmeme, Friendship, Gen, Just Friends, Male-Female Friendship, Platonic Female/Male Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:40:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24613174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Liza_Taylor/pseuds/Liza_Taylor
Summary: Ingrid is very suspicious about how nice Sylvain is to Bernadetta.
Relationships: Ingrid Brandl Galatea & Sylvain Jose Gautier, Sylvain Jose Gautier & Bernadetta von Varley
Comments: 1
Kudos: 55





	Are They Really Just Friends?

**Author's Note:**

> For the 3H Kink [Meme](https://3houseskinkmeme.dreamwidth.org/476.html?thread=1395932#cmt1395932)
> 
> Prompt: Basically Sylvain has made friends with Bernadetta, and really that’s all it is. He enjoys reading her writing and is slowly trying to coax her out of her shell because he thinks she’s a good person who deserves not to live in constant fear of failure. Bernadetta for her part likes having a real friend, someone who likes her because she’s Bernie and not because they want her crest or her title or anything like that.
> 
> The thing is, its really weirding Ingrid out because there’s one part of her saying that its good Sylvain is taking Bernadetta under his wing like that, another part that’s saying that this has to be some ploy by him to get into Bernadetta’s pants, another part reminding her that he’s the kind of person that would be cruel enough to go that far to get laid, and another part that silently wishes it was that straightforward because then she would at least know how to deal with it.
> 
> Bonus: Someone points out to Ingrid that she’s also a girl who is “just friends” with Sylvain

Ingrid didn’t know what to think about Sylvain’s apparent friendship with Bernadetta.

It was weird seeing her playboy friend treat a girl with respect and dignity. He was usually always hovering near her whenever Bernadetta was out of her room and wasn’t in class. Ingrid had witnessed him helping her out in the training yard, eating with her in the dining hall or even carrying her books as they walked back from the library.

Even in class there was an odd level of interaction between them. They always sat next to each other now, Sylvain appearing studious for once in his life. Whenever Byleth would call upon Bernadetta to answer a question, Sylvain would hold her hand under the table, Bernadetta barely able to say the answer without stuttering. After Byleth was satisfied with the answer and she went back to teaching, Sylvian would pat Bernadetta on the shoulder and whisper something in her ear, Bernadetta usually responding with a weak smile. This nauseous level of behavior even translated to their chores or other activities. When they had to pick up weeds, Sylvain would go out of his way to help Bernadetta with the section she was working on, grabbing the stubborn weeds she had trouble with.

Maybe from an outsider’s perspective it looked like Ingrid was jealous, but as someone who had known him from childhood, she was honestly more worried for Bernadetta. Sylvain was the type of guy who had sex with any girl that gave him the time of day. Was this all a ploy to make Bernadetta more comfortable with him just so he could have sex with her? With how she had seen him treat other girls in the past, that was not out of the realm of possibility. If that was the case, Ingrid felt horrible for Bernadetta.

From outside appearance alone, they seemed genuinely good for each other. Bernadetta was spending more time out of her room and she was able to hold at least a brief conversation with people without freaking out. Sylvain also seemed a little happier, his smiles different to her than anyone else. Was that real or was it all an act? Was Sylvain actually playing a long game and stringing this poor girl along? Why would he waste so much time when there were much easier targets(for lack of better word) at the monastery? Nothing made sense!

After about a month of wondering, Ingrid finally thought enough was enough and confronted Sylvain about it before class once morning, grabbing him and pulling him into a side hallway.

“Watch out Ingrid, people are going to get the wrong idea about us,” he said with his stupid easy-going grin.

Normally Ingrid would have argued that point with him but there was no time for that right now, she only had a couple of minutes and she needed to get the information out of him. “What’s your end goal with Bernadetta?”

“My…what?” He looked genuinely confused by her question. He was a good actor though.

“Your relationship to her. What is it?” Ingrid crossed her arms.

“Oh, we’re just friends.” He shrugged.

“Friends?” Ingrid repeated slowly. “Just friends?”

“Yeah, just friends. Bernie’s pretty cool.” His face broke into a dorky smile. “I mean you wouldn’t know from looking at her but she has some crazy cool talents! She embroiders, does crafts, she even has a couple carnivorous plants in her room. But her writing though! Oh wait, that’s supposed to be a secret, forget I said anything about her writing!”

What in the world was this!? Sylvain sounded like…a normal guy, nothing like the person she knew he was. This was impossible, downright impossible! “How in the world did this even happen? And why?” she asked in disbelief.

“Well, it was a crazy story but I’m sworn to secrecy though, Bernie will get super mad if I go around telling it.”

Holy crap, was it blackmail? Was that what was going on here? There was no other way this could have possibly happened. That had to be it, right? “But why did you end up becoming friends with her?” repeated Ingrid.

Sylvain rested his hand on the back of his neck and looked to the stone wall behind Ingrid. “Well, she gets me in a way no one else does,” he said softly.

Ingrid couldn’t help but stare at Sylvain in shock, the gentleness in his voice something she had never heard before.

“I get where you’re coming from Ingrid, I know I’m not the kind of guy to be just friends with girls so I’m glad you’re looking out for Bernie. At least the girls I’m friends with are caring people.”

“Uh yeah,” Ingrid stammered. Wait, hang on, ‘girls’ as in plural? “Wait, which other girls are you just friends with?”

Sylvain stared at her confused. “Uh….you? I mean, unless we aren’t friends?”

Holy crap, she was so focused on how weird it was that Sylvain was friends with a girl, she had forgotten _she_ was also friends with Sylvain. She was a girl too! Sure he was flirtatious with her but it was nowhere close to the degree he did it to other women. “Oh, right….we are.”

He chuckled. “Did you get enough sleep last night Ingrid?”

“I slept just fine,” she snapped. Hearing the bell, they slipped out of the hallway and hurried to the classroom. Byleth got testy if anyone was late. As Ingrid took her usual seat, she watched Sylvain sit down next to Bernadetta, that same gentle smile on his face as they had a quick conversation.

Maybe they did have a normal friendship and maybe it would be fine after all. Ingrid made a note to invite Bernadetta for a meal at some point in the future. Perhaps the two of them could be friends too.


End file.
